A Philosophicall Essay for the Reunion of the Languages | Page 4

will do me as much service, as the
quaintnesse, and elegance of Cicero; the Latin of the declining Empire,
since the irruptions of the Northern Nations, may be admitted into this
designe to as good purpose, as the language of Augustus his time; any
sense is the same of that of the Sciences, which makes one almost
altogether distinct from what is common and vulgar; the proper names
of Philosophy, naturall History, and Divinity, those of Physick, and the
Mathematicks, of Arts, Law, and Commerce; the names of illustrious
persons, people and places, of which History furnisheth us with a
plausible account, will afford me no lesse assistance on this occasion,
then the names of things that are most common.
After having made choice of a Language in order to the design, I am in
the next place to determine my self to a certain number of them, the
reunion of which may be justly thought a modest and reasonable
attempt; for as there are some, the knowledge of which will be of very
little use; so I am obliged to prescribe some bounds to a designe that
would lead me to something indetermin'd, and infinite, and withall I
suspect the inlargement both of mind, and memory to compasse all;
especially considering the consequence of some to be indifferent,
neither that of Biscany, nor the lower Brettaigne should in my opinion
much afflict any mans braine, nor do I believe that there are many more
in the world interest for them, then there are for the dialect of Finland
or Frizland, or the Barbarous jangling of the Negroes and Savages. In
the choise that I was to make I could not but give the preference to
those of the greatest credit and repute, took some Prince (excuse the
allusion) who having laid his design to reunite all the Kingdomes of the
world, began his conquest upon those Nations that were most
formidable and renown'd, from an apprehension that the rest in a little
time would be less able to make any opposition.
As I am not of an humour to attempt any thing without an
incouragement from reason; or to give my selfe any trouble through a
kind of caprice, purely to gratifie my curiositie; Religion, State, and the
Sciences are the three grand rules from which I make a judgement
what Languages are really the most important and noble; I have only
therefore selected such as Europe may use to the best advantage, either

for the defence of the Church, the good of the State, the advancement
of the Sciences, or the perfection of the most laudable Arts. It is for this
end that I have entertained in my designe all the Languages that
concerne Religion, and make a particular mention of such as furnish us
with originall texts, and the most authentick translations of the Bible,
being of no mean consequence towards the faithfull interpretation of
our sacred Records, and the confirmation of the Articles of our Creed.
I am in the next place obliged to find a place for such as concern and
relate to State affaires, the most renowned Empires, Kingdomes, and
warlike Nations, which may afford a suitable entertainment for all sorts
of people, and withall very much conduce to the succesful management
of forraigne businesse, the most important negotiations, Embassies, the
transactions of war or peace, as well as the most hopefull designes of
travellers. But above all I find myself concern'd for those that give us
the most refin'd and polite discoveries of wit and Science, and have
been cherisht and nurst up to our hands by the most knowing and
ingenious of all Nations.
I can hardly believe I shall meet with any inclinable to quarrell me for
the number of 24. that I have thought on for my designe, since I
presume it no easie matter for the most nicely curious to find a just
occasion; and although there are none of them that are not
unquestionably deriv'd from the same originall, it being no great
difficulty to convince any well settled head, that in the propriety of
speech there is but one mother Language: Yet to avoid confusion I
distribute them all into 7. different orders, as they seem to carry an
immediate reference to the Languages, which are the commonly
suppos'd originals: such are in the opinion of the Learned the Roman,
and the Greec, the Teutonic and Sclavonic, the Hebrew, Scythian, and
the Persian.
The Roman Idioms are the Italian, Spanish and French, which cannot
now be unknowne to any but such as are shamefully ignorant; I may
adde likewise the Portuguese, which although not very different from
the Castilian, yet is not wanting in its owne particular beauties, and
hath receiv'd no mean accession of use and honour